This week I was challenged with identifying my inspirations for the sport of running. I then had to take this a step further and map out their inspirations until I couldn't find an answer. Unfortunately, my maps are pretty small on each athlete in this blog, but I found an interesting common theme on all of them. Family is the biggest influence in the sport of running according to these individuals. I can't say I'm surprised. As someone who has played almost every sport, running has to be the most family orientated. I love that part of the sport and had a fun investigation of each athletes story.
Mathew Centrowitz
Centrowitz is a two-time Olympic qualifier and 1500 meter gold medalist. In an interview done with Capital Gazette, Centrowitz credits his sister Lauren for much of his credit and success. Growing up, Centrowitz was a multi-sport athlete who didn't focus on running until high school. She encouraged him to pursue running when his potential in the sport began to exceed others expectations. When I checked out her Twitter feed to find her influences, it was filled with retweets of Mathew Centrowitz related posts. However, in the same interview, they both mentioned their father Mathew Sr. as someone who has always inspired them. His father, also a two-time Olympian in the '70s became his first running coach when he turned pro. He is credited for his constant encouragement and someone to rely on for experience. Centrowitz inspired me personally to run the 1500 meters because I have always admired his style of racing.
Ryan Hall
Hall is a retired marathon runner who set the American half-marathon record during the 2007 USATF 13.1 Championships in Houston. He states his biggest influence was his father who ran occasional 5K's when Hall was a child. When Hall turned 10, he wanted to run a 15-mile loop around the lake near his home to impress his father. He considers this run to be the beginning of his marathon career. His wife Sarah has also been mentioned as someone who inspires his running journey. He praises her constant encouragement and support through the ups and downs of his career. Ryan Hall has inspired me because he was the only American runner to compete with some of the best Kenyans of all time.
Eliud Kipchoge
Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly 5000 meters race. He won the Olympic marathon in 2016 and is the current marathon world record holder with a time of 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds! Most importantly, he was part of an experiment called breaking two where they paced him to break the two-hour barrier mark. His inspiration from running comes from his countries long lineage of decorated distance runners. He considers those athletes like family, sharing his earning with those who have taught him what he knows. He has inspired me because of the Nike Breaking Two experiment, it's a complex event so I have tagged a link here.
Mom
My mom wasn't a standout runner by any means, in fact, she had to quit running after high school due to an injury. If she hadn't encouraged me to branch out and try running I don't think I ever would have. Her biggest inspiration was her grandparents who were gritty and determined. They were Italian immigrants inspired by the opportunities American had to offer.
I loved to see the family orientated side of running in these elite athletes. It was difficult finding my inspiration's inspiration but I managed to make a nice list. I am looking forward to playing off this idea of where athletes get their start for my final project. Stay tuned to here my journey of running!